sip. savor. taste. linger. inhale. munch. chomp. bite. devour. slurp. tantalize. tempt. feast. nibble. indulge. infuse. inspire.
a friend recently asked me why i incessantly post instagrams of all my eating exploits. from burgers and brie fries to tortellini and truffles, i’m constantly snapping, filtering, tagging and posting.
i realize this may be annoying…and if it truly bugs you, you’ve probably already hidden my culinary captures from your feed.
or perhaps the constant deluge of edible delights may make you hungry. you might have just eaten a perfectly respectable sandwich, and then along comes a pic of a ginormous piece of carrot cake, moist yet flaky, three layers deep, heaping with cream cheese frosting and homemade whipped cream, dusted with a hint of cinnamon, and BOOM, the grumbellies kick right back in…and maybe, just maybe a droplet of drool falls from your lips. if that’s the case, i’m truly sorry. food is meant to be shared, but the virtual method doesn’t quite give you the warm afterglow and full-bellied feeling of an IRL (“in real life”) bite!
so what is the psychology behind this obsession? as a child i was never lacking in the food department so, as far as i know, there’s no deep-seated void that’s being filled by the endless food photo frenzy. but there must be a reason i get so lathered up.
one day, when we were driving in the car, my son remarked about how much he loved his breakfast that morning. “daddy, you cooked the toast just perfectly.”
“thanks buddy."
“it was not too burnt, still kinda soft, with just the right amount of butter, and a little salty flavor.”
“uh oh,” i thought. “am i raising a little pretentious, food-obsessed mini-me?”
until he added the kicker. “it was exactly the way GG grandma used to make it for me in the mornings at her house before she passed away.”
[insert dagger into heart.]
if you’re passonate about food, you know that it’s not just nourishment. it’s creativity. history. beauty. emotion. feelings. flavor. memory. harmony. sustenance. whimsy. comfort. togetherness.
to you, it may just be a piece of bread.
to me, food is life. meant to be savored, celebrated and devoured…especially with a sunny side up egg on top. CHOMP!